Materials and Methods:
The rats were randomly divided into four groups: The normal control group, the model control group, the CHSGS group and the fluoxetine control group. The antidepressant-like effects of CHSGS aqueous extract were assessed in rats exposed to chronic mild stress (CMS) using the open-field test and sucrose water consumption test, its underlying mechanism of anti-depression was explored by determining the effect of CHSGS on the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phospho-ERK (P-ERK) in the hippocampus using western blot. The aqueous extract of CHSGS at a dose of standard (5.9 g/kg·d) was administered intragastrically for 14 days during the CMS model while the fluoxetine control group was given at the same time using fluoxetine hydrochloride (1.8 mg/kg·d).